Friday, January 30, 2009

12 Weeks

My dad says it's time for an update... apparently, the grandparents need a "Charlie fix." Damn junkies. :-)

Playing on his tummy time mat

Charles turned 12 weeks old yesterday, and will turn 3 months old next week (yes, some months have more than 4 weeks... this is why pregnancy is 9 months but usually 40 weeks). He smiles all the time, charming anyone in his path. He also screams loudly, giving me a headache at least once per day. I have been trying to head off the "too tired" screaming by anticipating when he will get sleepy (after about 2 hours of awake time), but this is difficult when I try to have a life at the same time - he sleeps in the car, disrupting the so-called "schedule." However, I have been successfully putting him down IN HIS CRIB for two naps a day, and tonight I am going for gold with the overnight in the crib (or as long as possible). Tony is playing poker with the boys, so it's just me, Charlie, and my resolve to get my bed back.
Sleeping in the crib

We thought Charles might have a tooth coming in because he was inconsolable for a few days, but it appears to have gone back into hiding. I didn't know teeth could a) show up as early as 3 months and b) appear and recede, potentially causing months of pain. What fun! Charlie continues to gain weight and grow, though I have no idea exactly how large he is now. I do know that he is firmly in 6 month or 9 month clothing, depending on the brand. He seems to have a long enough torso to be in 9 month clothes, but his legs and arms aren't quite there yet. He babbles pretty constantly now, which is tons of fun.

Aren't I cute?

The rest of us are hanging in there. Buster is bored, but we go play with other dogs in the park at least once a day. Sometimes we get two walks per day, which is great for him!

Getting ready for a walk in the bear suit

But it's cold, so it is a big process to get us all out the door. I am still quite fat, and I am exhausted, so for the first time since I was cleared for exercise, I did not make it to the gym at all this week. Nope, no exercise since I ran 2 or 3 miles with the dog this weekend. It is just soooo hard to get up at 6 am when I feel like I am going going going all day long. You see, tax season has begun, so Tony comes home from work around 7, has dinner, and then goes back to work. Or, sometimes we take dinner to him. Which makes me primary diaper changer, head book reader, playtime leader, laundress, maid, cook, and more. "Fun" things like going grocery shopping have become a race to get in and out of the store before Charles begins screaming because he hates his carseat/carrier. I can't wait until he can sit up on his own so I don't have to haul him around in that heavy thing! He will be much happier when he is not permanently buckled in to go everywhere, and can instead chill in the sit-up stroller or the shopping cart. Anyhow, all this adds up to fatigue me to no end, and that's when I really miss my husband, and all the help he gives me around here when it's not tax season.
Playtime!

Well, there you have it. I sometimes wish I was more interesting than this, but really, my life is pretty boring.

2 comments:

Sarah said...

He looks so much more alert. And I like how his tongue is sticking out just a little bit in that first picture. I'm glad that we sent 18 mo. jammies for Christmas. He'll probably be wearing them by June! Well, I hope you find some fun/joy in the midst of your daily grind today!

Unknown said...

Amelia, sometime, not soon, but sometime, you're going to miss these days. You'll remember the blissful simplicity of your life and the closeness you have with Charlie, when you were everything he depended each day. And you'll wish for the "boredom" which isn't really. It keeps getting better, but you'll miss these early times.
...love, Dad